An Erie lawyer offers holiday travel safety advice

• The period between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day sees a significant increase in car accidents.
• Holiday travel risks are heightened by increased traffic, fatigue, alcohol consumption and unpredictable weather.
• Planning your route, allowing extra time and arranging a sober ride in advance can prevent accidents.
• Driving defensively is crucial as other drivers may be distracted, tired or impaired.

Every year around this time, someone says the same thing to me. Sometimes it’s a client, sometimes a neighbor, sometimes a friend who bumps into me at a holiday party: “It’s the holidays. What could really go wrong?” It’s meant as a joke, usually delivered with a smile and a shrug, but the reality behind that question is far less cheerful. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, car accidents increase by more than 20% during the holidays, and more fatal crashes occur between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day than almost any other stretch of the year.

For families in Erie and across our entire region, these aren’t distant national statistics. They’re a snapshot of what our roads actually look like every December. Despite all the warmth and togetherness the season promises, this is the time of year when drivers face more risk than they do in almost any other month. Part of it is the simple math of more cars on the road, but there’s much more behind it. You have late-night travel, long drives to visit relatives, unpredictable weather and celebrations where alcohol is served freely. Add in the stress, fatigue and rushing that come with the holidays, and the danger becomes painfully predictable.

In my work representing crash victims, I meet people who were doing everything right on the day everything went wrong. That’s why I take these statistics seriously, and why I think we should talk openly about how to make this season safer. Safety does not have to take the joy out of the holidays. In fact, it makes the joy possible.

One of the most important things we can do is plan ahead. Most families plan their meals, their gatherings, their gifts and their travel schedules down to the minute, but very few plan the actual drive. That’s where trouble appears. When people are running behind, they speed up. When they’re unfamiliar with roads in another part of the state, they take risks to avoid “missing the turn.” When a storm rolls through, they tell themselves the roads “don’t look that bad.” A little preparation can take all of this out of the equation. Check the route before you leave. Look at the forecast. Give yourself time to arrive without rushing. Ten extra minutes can make the difference between a routine trip and a disaster.

Alcohol adds another layer of danger. The holidays are full of celebrations, and there is nothing wrong with enjoying them responsibly. The problem comes from people who assume they will “feel fine” to drive later. The decision to drive impaired is almost never made in advance; it’s made at the worst possible moment, at the end of the night, when judgment is lowest. That is why the safest choice is the earliest one. If you think you might drink, plan your ride home before the first sip. Erie has taxis, ride-hailing services and friends who care far more about your safety than about being inconvenienced. Taking advantage of those options is not a burden. It’s a gift you give your family and everyone else on the road.

Winter itself creates challenges we can’t ignore. Anyone who has spent more than a single season in Erie knows how quickly weather changes here. Roads that seem perfectly manageable in the afternoon can be slick and dangerous a few hours later. Ice, snow and sudden whiteouts demand slower speeds and greater distance between cars. Four-wheel drive and all-season tires help, but they are not magic. They don’t change physics. I’ve heard countless drivers say, “But I’m good in the snow.” Most of them are, until the moment when they’re not.

There’s also a simple, uncomfortable truth we need to acknowledge. Even if you do everything right, the people around you may not. Holidays bring out distracted drivers, tired drivers, drivers who are trying to hold conversations, manage kids, adjust GPS settings and deliver pies across four counties. It’s chaos, even for well-meaning people. Defensive driving is one of the most valuable tools we have. Keeping a safe distance, paying closer attention and giving yourself room to react is not paranoia. It’s wisdom. You are not only driving for yourself; you are driving for everyone around you.

If you are involved in a crash, the steps you take afterward matter. People often feel shaken, embarrassed, overwhelmed or eager to “just go home,” but that can lead to avoidable mistakes. Call the police, even if the damage looks minor. Document the scene. Get medical attention, because some injuries don’t show symptoms right away. And speak with someone who understands the legal and insurance issues you may face. You don’t need to make big decisions immediately. You just need to protect yourself while you regain your footing.

Still, for all the risk, I remain optimistic about this time of year. I believe we can change these statistics. I believe Pennsylvanians can have a safer holiday season if we take the data seriously and make smart choices. None of this requires dramatic lifestyle changes. It requires awareness, a little planning and a commitment to driving as though the people on the road matter to you. Because they do. They are someone’s child, parent, neighbor or friend. They are people who want to arrive safely, just like you do.

If we can embrace that mindset over the next few weeks, we have a real chance to turn the most dangerous week of the year into something far better. Not perfect, but safer. Not tragic, but peaceful. And at the end of the day, that’s all any of us want as we move into a new year: to end the holidays with the people we love, safe and together.

Tim George is a senior partner at Purchase, George & Murphey, P.C. in Erie.